Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Staying up late at lates

This cinetrek was hard to focus as an observer because of how easy it was to get swept up in the spectacle. Museums in the United States are quiet, personal experiences. If we have shared experiences, they tend to only happen during group tours. It was baffling to me that chatting in groups was encouraged. While out of my normal realm, it was easy to assimilate to this culture and become part of the spectacle.
In between imbibing and looking at the exhibits, I did manage to make a few observations during the outing. First, it seems like the British are "less precious" with their artifacts than in the States. While there were some encased in glass, more artifacts were out in the open, just an arms length away. Second, the British patrons who I encountered were just as obsessed with being part of "the scene" as Americans are. Every few feet, I saw snapchat, Instagram, or Facebook open with pictures and videos being posted. Although I'm finding the stereotype that British people are more reserved to be absolutely true, it is nice to see social media documentation cross all cultures and borders.
Lastly, I noticed the amount of children at the event. While it seems like The Natural History Museum has more child friendly exhibits, I didn't expect to see as many as I did. With the inclusion of alcohol, I expected mostly adults, but it was nice to see the kids were as enthusiastic--if not more so--than the adults. Who knows, maybe it was just because they were up past their bedtime.